Game/Publisher/Developer
L.A. Noire, Rockstar Games, Team Bondi
The Trailer
My Reaction
L.A. Noire was a blast from the past to revisit. The interrogation and detective work still hold up remarkably well, thanks to the facial animation tech that was so far ahead of its time. The one real negative is the driving; the car handling feels stiff and syphoned, dragging down what’s otherwise an excellent experience.
Overview
Amid the post-war boom of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Cole Phelps is an LAPD detective thrown headfirst into a city drowning in its own success. Corruption is rampant, the drug trade is exploding, and murder rates are at an all-time high. In his fight to climb the ranks and do what’s right, Phelps must unravel the truth behind a string of arson attacks, racketeering conspiracies and brutal murders, battling the L.A. underworld and even members of his own department to uncover a secret that could shake the city to its rotten core.
What I Liked
- Groundbreaking facial motion capture that makes reading suspects during interrogations genuinely compelling.
- A meticulously recreated 1940s Los Angeles packed with period detail.
- A strong case-based structure that keeps the detective work varied across arson, vice and homicide desks.
- Cole Phelps is a flawed, interesting lead who anchors the noir tone well.
What I Didn’t Like
The driving is a letdown. The car handling system feels syphoned and disconnected from the rest of the experience, making the trips between cases more of a chore than the open world deserves.
Verdict
L.A. Noire remains a unique and memorable detective game, carried by its interrogation mechanics and its commitment to noir atmosphere. The clunky driving is a persistent annoyance, but it doesn’t undo the strength of the case work at the game’s core.
Rating
79/100